A message from the series “Advent: A Christmas Carol.”

A message from the series “Advent: A Christmas Carol.”

A message from the series “Advent: A Christmas Carol.” Oh, just as Scrooge was visited by the Spirit of Christmas Past, we will also take a look at Christmas past, and do the stories connect? These stories that we might know very well, do they have anything to do with our past as well? 

A message from the series “Advent: A Christmas Carol.” This Advent Season we are going to explore the world of Charles Dickens novel, “A Christmas Carol.” Perhaps you’ve read the book or watched one of the many movies that have been produced, from Bill Murray’s “Scrooged,” to the “Muppet Christmas Carol.” Charles Dickens was a man who firmly believed that those who claimed to follow Jesus should take seriously the call to love God and neighbor, and much of his work was an attempt to point out the hypocrisy and cruelty of his own contemporary society and church. The story of Scrooge’s transformation from “…squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner,” to a man who promised, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year…” has a lot to teach us during this time of Advent. Let’s listen to the story Dickens tells and discover how it points to the greatest story ever told, when “…the time came for the baby to be born…” –Luke 2:6

A message from the series “100% On Mission.” We have been 100% on Mission, looking at what it means to “FOLLOW Jesus, LOVE people, and DO good.” This weekend, we look at the START of that mission, “To be TRANSFORMED by the Holy Spirit.” But where and how does that all begin? Will we feel it? Will we see it? Will we show it? Will we be any different? Being 100% on Mission, will that make a tangible difference in our lives? Yes. And No.  

A message from the series “100% On Mission.” How do we define “good?” What does it mean to “do good?” This may seem like an obvious question, but it has been the subject of heated debate for thousands of years, from Aristotle and Plato to modern philosophers and spiritual guides of all kinds. This week we continue our exploration of NewSong’s Mission Statement by asking these very questions. Doing good is a vital part of our life in Christ in the world. The Apostle Paul reminds us that, “God’s Way is not a matter of mere talk; it’s an empowered life.” (1 Cor. 4:20). Our good deeds are in many ways the specific places where the Kingdom of God touches down in our community in powerful and practical ways; where people will encounter the goodness of God, the source and definition of all that can be called “good.”

A message from the series “100% On Mission.” How do we LOVE others?

It isn’t just a religious obligation or a moral imperative. Loving others is core to who we are as Christ-followers. It’s not a price for our faith; it is the very foundation. Join us as we walk through what this means for us individually and as a church.

A message from the series “100% On Mission.” This week we begin an exploration of NewSong’s 4 part mission statement: To Be Transformed by the Holy Spirit, Follow Jesus, Love People and Do Good. We start with what it means to Follow Jesus. There have been many programs and organizations that have sought to clarify what this looks like, from the Promise Keepers* to W.W.J.D.** bracelets. Jesus’ first followers literally did just that: Followed Jesus! Does Jesus’ command, “Follow Me,” still have any practical relevance for today, and if so, how do we best respond to His calling in our time and place? 

*Promise Keepers – A National men’s movement active throughout the nineties.
**W.W.J.D. – What Would Jesus Do?

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A message from the series “Why Do We Part II.” We all have preferences: Mac or Android, cats or dogs, dark or milk chocolate. Rarely do these differences cause substantial relational damage, and it would seem ludicrous for me to judge a person’s intelligence, value or character according to their choice of vacation destination or the cocoa to oil ratio in their candy bar. There are, however, other polarizing choices that damage relationships, dehumamize other people made in God’s image and cause great harm to the body of Christ and its witness in the world that God so loves. In a culture that loudly insists on all channels that we must pick a side, can we declare that we are people who seek a new path. Can we ask with sincerity and openness to change, “whose side is Jesus on, and what might that mean for our lives right here right now?”

A message from the series “Why Do We Part II.” This week we ask ourselves the question “Why do we divide?” The first step to this is admitting that we are inherently divisive people. Once we acknowledge this, we can consider the ways in which we can address this issue. Scripture points us to the fact that God can use the things that would normally divide us for His glory.